When my friend first relocated to Vietnam she started raving over the cuisine. We raised her to be a foodie, clearly. There was no street food that was unquestionable, nor was there a dish that was too exotic. The only thing she was really talking about was Vietnamese egg coffee (ca phe trung, also known as Ca Phe Trung Hanoi). When she said she was talking about it I was forced to stop for a second and contemplate the word combination. Egg + coffee = Hmm… I have to admit that my mental image was unpleasant.
COFFEE + EGG?
First thought Coffee with scrambled eggs? I didn’t really know what to make of Ca phe trung. She said it was like the only thing I’ve ever had the pleasure of tasting. She sent us a photograph along with a recipe to explain this mystery drink.
THE VIETNAMESE EGG COFFEE IS A VERY TREAT
Vietnamese egg-based coffee (ca phe Trung) is prepared by beating an egg yolk using condensed milk that has been sweetened for approximately 10 minutes to create an airy, soft meringue-like flurry. Do you want to swoon? The eggy goodness is slowly poured over hot espresso or even iced coffee. Are you still with me?
So that’s why, when my friend went to Vietnam this past Christmas in order to connected us with an experience of street food offered to her by her acquaintance Nhi who runs the tour company Maya Travels. My friend is now helping with tours and is a part in the group. Here’s Nhi as well as the group.
The egg cream that was on the top of coffee is thick and silky, yet not too sweet. The Vietnamese espresso beneath was robusta enough to dye her hair and keep she awake for a long time, yet perfectly balanced by the foam with a sweet flavor. It’s definitely dessert coffee. So why did this delicious dessert come about? It was because my friend’s best close friend Nhi who was the host of our tour of street food, gave us this story:
A CRAZY HISTORIZATION
Egg coffee was first discovered (pun not intended) around 1946, in Hanoi, Vietnam. A person by the name Giang was a member of the Hanoi gang. Giang worked in the Metropole Hotel as a bartender. At the time it was uncommon for natives to work for foreign firms, however Giang was an absolute go-getter. He was a passionate person and extremely competent in his work; therefore, when a shortage of milk hit Vietnam Giang figured out that the creamy yolks of eggs as well as sugar would be an ideal substitute.
Giang began to make the fascinating concoctions for hotel guests, and they loved it! Then, word spread about his talents and he quit his position as a chef at Metropole to open a tiny café that sold his well-known Vietnamese egg-based coffee ( ca phe trung).
Many generations of Hanoians have become familiar with and adore his coffee shop, run by his family. Others baristas tried to replicate his concept however, no one came up with a concept as well as he did. Giang has three children and a daughter that carried forward his ideas and owns three cafés located in Hanoi serving the authentic Vietnamese egg cup (ca phe Trung).
If you try Vietnamese eggs in coffee ( ca phe trung) and it’s not only that your senses jive in joy, but you will soon be part of a long-standing Hanoi tradition. Creamy, sweet egg fluff atop rich coffee, you’ll crazy with it.
There are two more tasty Vietnamese coffee drinks I highly recommend: Ca Phe Sua Da or Vietnamese Iced Coffee is an iced espresso that is sweetened with condensed milk. Vietnamese Coconut Coffee is espresso that is served cold or hot with coconut cream. It is impossible to make a mistake with either of the two!
By the way, if you ever find yourself in a HANOI and are looking for the best deal Three cafes are available in GIANG LOCATIONS to check out:
- 109 1 Yen Phu
- 39 Nguyen Huu Huan
- 13 Dinh Tien Hoang
Here are the steps you can follow to make VIETNAMESE COFFEE:
Vietnamese egg coffee recipe
Vietnamese egg coffee (ca phe trung Hanoi)
Equipment
- Vietnamese Phin coffee Filter
- Electric whisk
- 1 bowl to hold hot water
- or 2 bowls, if you need to keep your or 2 bowls if you want to keep the coffee warm.
- 1 cup to brew the coffee
- 1 serving cup
- Teaspoon and tablespoon
Materials
- "Truegrit" or "Loyalty" (robusta coffee is a must-have in Vietnamese egg-based coffee)
- 3 Tablespoons Sweetened Condensed Milk
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 2 egg yolks
- 4 Cups of boiling warm water (boiling)
Instructions
Make the Coffee using an Vietnamese Phin Filter
- Follow the steps to make the coffee
- If you don't own the phin, you can make 4 cups of strong coffee using alternative methods, like French Press as well as an espresso machine.
Create the egg cream
- Mix eggs yolks with sugar along with sweetened condensed dairy in an ice cube.
- Mix the mixture using an electric whisk to make it the mixture is thick and foamy. It should take around 5 minutes.
Create the Drink
- Bring four cups of boiling water. Put it in an empty bowl.
- Set each serving glass(es) into the hot water bowl. This will cook your egg-based topping.
- Pour half of your cup in your glass serving glass(es).
- Pour all eggs to the top of the serving glass.
- Pour the rest of the coffee on top and allow it to soak into the egg.
- Let the egg sit in hot water for three minutes to cook the egg to its desired consistency.
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